Expanathura Wägele

Poore, Gary C. B., Lew, Helen M. & Ton, 2002, Expanathuridae (Crustacea: Isopoda) from the Australian region, Zootaxa 82, pp. 1-60 : 24

Expanathura Wägele

Expanathura Wägele, 1981: 89 , 121–122.— Poore, 2001: 123 –124.

Remarks: The genus of six described species is confined to the tropics and subtropics, islands of the Indian Ocean, northern coasts of Australia, and the south­western Pacific (Society Islands, Fiji, Papua New Guinea). The genus can be divided into two groups, each of three species (see first couplet of key). The first group is characterised by narrow uropodal rami, tapering telson, and short pleopod 1 endopod. Species of the second group are morphologically very similar to each other; they have very broad uropodal rami, broad telson, and moderately shortened pleopod 1 endopod. Many specimens belonging to this group have brown pigmentation dorsally and laterally. They can be distinguished using the shape of the uropod and telson (fig. 20).